Waiting...

I am typing this on my trusty old Apple G4 Cube, as I wait to hear the results of the data transfer and new hard drive installation on my MacBook. It never fails to amaze me that things seem to go wrong when I need them to actually go right. I planned on working on my thesis today at school, but my Mac crashed on me before I could get anything accomplished.

Here are a few of my thoughts recently:

I've been feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders,
I am unemployed and worry about money,
I am in the middle of a career switch, and worry what the job market holds in the Fall,
I sometimes doubt my abilities as a future School Counselor,
I have been extremely lonely, and am struggling with isolation,
I am in need of warmth and sunshine,
I feel that I might never get married and have a family of my own,
I am knee-deep in working on my Masters thesis and portfolio,
I am experiencing serious computer issues today,
I have been frustrated by the lack of hearing God's voice and not feeling His direction,
It is very hard to wait.

Mental Slump

I'm not sure if it's the extremely cold weather, or the break in my internship schedule, but I am having a very hard time staying focused and on task. I still need to find an elementary school to do an internship at, but am not having luck as there aren't that many possible sites and there are a lot of us looking for them. So I have three days a week that are now open. I should be using that time to finish the research for my final masters paper, and should be starting to write it soon, but I am not motivated. Maybe next week will be better for me.

Due to the cold weather, I am also having a problem with my kitchen sink, as the pipes are frozen. I've had a space heater on them for the last 24 hours, but they are still not warm enough for the water to begin flowing. At least the pipes in the rest of the house are still working - I just hope I won't have to do the dishes in the bathtub!

Awesome Experience

I just had a really awesome thing happen to me at my high school internship (DeLaSalle) this morning. Today is my last day here after completing my 300 internship hours, and the choir came into the guidance office and sang a few songs in my honor. It was a very moving experience - it's nice to know I made an impact!

The Sixth Picture

I was recently tagged by my friend Heidi, where I was assigned to find the sixth folder of pictures, and then the sixth picture in that folder, and to post it. I had quite a few pictures in that folder, so I've posted a handful of them. They are from my church's missions trip to Waveland, Mississippi to help rebuild after hurricane Katrina. To keep the "chain" going, I am tagging some other people and assigning them the task of posting the sixth picture in their sixth folder of photos, with some info about the pic. The tagged people are: Lisa, Eric, Abs, and Jamie. Happy posting!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Well, for Christmas this year I spent it in Des Moines with Jamie, Gretchen, their girls, and some of Gretchen's family at her parent's home. We arrived there on Wednesday afternoon and got back home yesterday afternoon. It was a great time! There was plenty of food, including an awesome meal of grilled steaks and twice-baked potatoes on Christmas Day. Because of all the food and snacks, I went and worked out both Friday and Saturday mornings with Jamie. I had to offset the calorie intake somehow! We also managed to get a few games in on a Wii, which Gretchen's brother-in-law Robbie had. I might just have to get me one of those someday, as the games were a blast!

I also have this entire week off from my internships sites, with the only thing that I must get done is some research for my final Masters paper for school - a 40 to 45 page paper. I will probably head to the U of M's Wilson Hall Library tomorrow to begin the research process, assuming they're open over the holiday break.

After sleeping in late this morning, I went out to breakfast at Mickey's Diner in St. Paul, followed by an amazing 100 anos at Stogies on Grand - another wonderful day! I hope you've had a nice Christmas, too!

The Holidays

I love Christmastime! Whether it's Christmas music, movies, and TV shows; Christmas trees and decorations; or even a little bit of Christmas shopping (assuming the crowds aren't too hectic). Tonight was my annual tradition of enjoying a warm fire while watching a classic Christmas movie (A Christmas Carol) and partaking in a fine cigar (earlier this afternoon with Dan and Jamie)...what a fun day!

Thanksgiving

Well, I survived the Thanksgiving holiday! I spent Wednesday through Sunday in southeast Wisconsin at my uncle Dan's (a view of the Wisconsin countryside at left). We were joined by my aunt and uncle, Gale and Susan (they are the parents of my recently departed cousin, Monty). My uncle's girlfriend Jane was able to join us for the turkey feast, too. My uncle is not much of a cook, so he ordered a turkey from a local bakery, along with the stuffing and cranberry sauce. He and I managed to peel, slice, and mash the potatoes all by ourselves! My aunt brought us homemade pumpkin and pecan pies - her baking reminded me of my Mom's, as it was wonderful!

As some of you know, my uncle and I have a strange relationship. I used to spend at least one long weekend a year with him, going back to when I was about 15. I can still clearly remember (somewhat clearly) the first time he and I went to a local bar, and I was served underage as a 15 year old. This practice continued for many years, with me being his drinking buddy. After I became saved, I didn't see him as much as before, as I struggled with being around him and his lifestyle. He too didn't know what to make of my new-found religion. He is a practicing Atheist, but has at least come to accept my belief in God. I do not judge him, but try to lead by example. However, I have been known to stumble a bit when I am around him. This Thanksgiving, I managed to only partake in a few Guinness'.

We were also able to connect for an evening with my uncle's cousin Bob, who is my second-cousin. He and his wife Pat live in Alaska! They have always been known as the adventurers in our family, and hearing their stories of his small airplane was pretty exciting! I hope to visit them one day soon in Alaska. They moved there almost 30 years ago, so Bob could work on the Alaskan pipeline as a mechanic. He retired a few years ago, and has been hunting, fishing, and flying ever since!

I got back into town yesterday afternoon, after spending the morning and early afternoon in the car - with a few stops, it only took me about 5 1/2 hours to get home. Considering I get very sleepy and bored while driving by myself, I did pretty well with my ipod and some podcasts.

I hope your Turkey Day was enjoyable - any fun adventures?

A few pictures of my uncle Bob and aunt Pat in Alaska: